The Ian Prout-coached side led 22-4 at halftime after tries to Zan Pomare-Tutagalevao, Jacob Thomas, Rakheem Tuuta-Edwards and Nika Morehu but had to weather some stiff Northern Territory pressure in the second half before co-captains Christian Smith and Rakheem Tuuta-Edwards could host the John Allen Trophy aloft at Scully Park. The Top-Enders added tries through five-eighth Leslie Marony’s brilliant 60m effort from a scrum and then Ramone Lewin’s late try from a fumbled bomb.

“We just want to thank everyone for a wicked tournament,” Smith told spectators while making his victory speech. “We’d like to thank our coaching staff for putting it all together. It’s been a great eight or nine weeks.”

Head coach Ian Prout said the 10-week preparation was now well worth it.

“It’s great when it all comes to fruition like this and makes the hard work worth it.

“I was proud of the boys.

“They had to absorb a lot of pressure in the second half.

“They did crack us a few times but that was more to do with them being tired, it’s been a long week.”

He said “good solid defence” in the second half helped repel the NT surge.

They saved two tries with good scrambling defence to hold up attackers over the line.

Rakheem Tuutu-Edwards was then named the most valuable player of the Pool B Affiliated Schools as well as being named WA’s most valuable player for the tournament.

NSW CHS skipper and hooker, Luke Huth, was named most valuable player in the Pool A Championship despite his side missing the final and winning its playoff against ACT yesterday.

Northern Territory had plenty of stars too with centres Layland Dawson and William Nugraha both strong runners, five-eighth Marony a talented ball runner.

Marony was also named his state’s most valuable player for the

tournament.

In earlier games NSW CHS had a 50-6 win over ACT and NSW CCC beat NSW CIS 40-16.